Dr. Cathleen London, a family doctor in Milbridge, Maine, devised a workaround for her patients who needed an EpiPen but could not afford the high price of the name-brand injector. She built a simple auto-injector that patients can easily refill when the dose has been used or expired. For customers with limited funds, London’s solution costs $50 initially and $2.50 for a refill, compared to $615 for the EpiPen. Unlike the EpiPen, this device is also reusable.
School systems and other institutions have been slow to consider an EpiPen replacement option partially because they have less incentive to do so. At least 11 states mandate that schools stock epinephrine, which is the main ingredient in the EpiPen and London’s invention used to treat extreme asthma attacks or allergic reactions in emergency situations. The unused EpiPens are thrown away, leading to millions of dollars of waste.
London’s innovation could prevent that waste, and help individuals who cannot afford the climbing costs of healthcare still have access to lifesaving medicine. Though her off-brand medicine requires extra effort on the part of the doctor, and trust on the part of the patient, this simple solution is not only viable but necessary to create better access to the medicine.
Read more here (via The New York Times)